Missionaries to muslims

[ChristianKnight]

The Catholic Church does send missionaries into Muslim lands. Many are killed. More are in hiding.

I would say contact one of the more missionary orders and see what they say.

A better idea would be to contact inJesus or one of the other posters on here who live in the Middle East. Many of their Churches need help doing God’s work. There are Catholic groups in many of the nations over there that can always use support.

Be wary when donating to evangelical groups. SOme of them may use the money for anti-Catholic missions as well.

Last I checked our (Baptist) missions were not based on anti-catholic. Matter fact, I have never heard anti-catholic until this forum, and no one I know has ever hated/dis-liked Catholics, just not understood.

 

[Isa_Almisry]

If you wish to help, here is a start:
Visit al-bushra.org (Huge Arab-Catholic website)
al-bushra.org/wayhelp/wayhelp.htm

Also, visit this link to help Palestinian Christians:
al-bushra.org/latpatra/christianpresence.htm

National (Catholic) Commission for Justice & Peace - Pakistan

Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries

The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN)

Hope this helps.

They are not really “Missionaries to Muslims” per se, but they are in Muslim populated countries. Whatever you contribute to them, part of it also goes to doing missionary work.

Just remember, leading by example is sometimes better than leading by the Bible. That’s my experience anyway.

I remember a number of years back I was at a Ramadan dinner where a Canadian convert to Islam was collecting textbooks for Afghan refugees (I gave some medical books I had, which had “In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One God, Amen” in their beginning). She spoke of her work in the refugee camps, and how they kept on saying how they keep seeing the Christians coming to take care of them but “where are the Muslims?”

Afterwards she came to me, because of my donation (and perhaps because I’m white) and stated how she didn’t mind “real missionaries, you know, those who come with aid and schools and doctors but don’t preach anything about their religion. You know, we can take their help, just like the prophet said that if you are starving, you can eat a pig.” She evidently didn’t know I wasn’t Muslim, but everyone else did, and the air went out of the rooom. When they asked afterwards if I was offended I said that I was too amused.

I also recall a missionary in Somalia who said the Somalis would start to ask “why are you here” and they would say “Jesus sent me to take care of you.”

Btw, I know Arabic, and the Muslims are EXTREMELY worried about their losses in Africa and Indonesia.

 

[grandfather]

Last I checked our (Baptist) missions were not based on anti-catholic. Matter fact, I have never heard anti-catholic until this forum, and no one I know has ever hated/dis-liked Catholics, just not understood.

I once lived in New Hampshire and was friends with a Baptist minister. He asked me many times to come to his church to check it out. So one Sunday I went and there was a guest preacher, who surely did not know there was a Catholic lurking in the back pew. This was my first experience in a Baptist service, and the last. They sang some songs and the young preacher preached for about an hour or more. He turned red in the face and veins bulged from his neck and he literally had a Bible open in his hand and thumped it for emphasis. The entire sermon was a rant on how bad the Catholic Church is and how decieved all Catholics are. He raved on for at least an hour. Then some old lady played the piano “Just as I am” for the altar call.

I was not offended. It was more amusing than anything. It would be impossible to be offended by such a lunatic or take him seriously. Nevertheless, that is my Baptist experience. This guy’s identity was defined not what he or his religion is, but by what it is not, Catholic.

 

[ChristianKnight]

I once lived in New Hampshire and was friends with a Baptist minister. He asked me many times to come to his church to check it out. So one Sunday I went and there was a guest preacher, who surely did not know there was a Catholic lurking in the back pew. This was my first experience in a Baptist service, and the last. They sang some songs and the young preacher preached for about an hour or more. He turned red in the face and veins bulged from his neck and he literally had a Bible open in his hand and thumped it for emphasis. The entire sermon was a rant on how bad the Catholic Church is and how decieved all Catholics are. He raved on for at least an hour. Then some old lady played the piano “Just as I am” for the altar call.

I was not offended. It was more amusing than anything. It would be impossible to be offended by such a lunatic or take him seriously. Nevertheless, that is my Baptist experience. This guy’s identity was defined not what he or his religion is, but by what it is not, Catholic.

I cannot help that a minister who obviously had a vendetta against the Catholic Church did that, I just know no minister I have ever been with (I am young, but I have heard about 30+) have ever mentioned the Catholic Church.

 

[Isa_Almisry]

I once lived in New Hampshire and was friends with a Baptist minister. He asked me many times to come to his church to check it out. So one Sunday I went and there was a guest preacher, who surely did not know there was a Catholic lurking in the back pew. This was my first experience in a Baptist service, and the last. They sang some songs and the young preacher preached for about an hour or more. He turned red in the face and veins bulged from his neck and he literally had a Bible open in his hand and thumped it for emphasis. The entire sermon was a rant on how bad the Catholic Church is and how decieved all Catholics are. He raved on for at least an hour. Then some old lady played the piano “Just as I am” for the altar call.

I was not offended. It was more amusing than anything. It would be impossible to be offended by such a lunatic or take him seriously. Nevertheless, that is my Baptist experience. This guy’s identity was defined not what he or his religion is, but by what it is not, Catholic.

Father Guillquist coined a term for that: ROMAPHOBIA.

 

[cathopologist]

Which Islamic country needs missionaries to come to their aid?

Countries like Algeria have very anti-Christian stance on Christian missionaries. Its almost impossible to preach there. A few who have bravely attempted to do so, died as martyrs. Christianity is growing there (mostly underground Protestantism) and its panicking their government officials.

 

[cathopologist]

Btw, I know Arabic, and the Muslims are EXTREMELY worried about their losses in Africa and Indonesia.

Indeed, they are. I live in Singapore and we are surrounded by neighboring Muslim countries. Last Easter, a young Muslim man in our parish converted to Catholicism (he was in my wife’s RCIA class). His testimony speech was rather moving. He has still not told his parents about his conversion in fear of being chastised. This is the reality Muslim converts to Christianity have to face.

 

[wina]

Btw, I know Arabic, and the Muslims are EXTREMELY worried about their losses in Africa and Indonesia.

Well I know some people who are catholic and some of them became nuns.

 

[planten]

I’m a Muslim and I would tell you to support the evangelicals if you really want to support missionary work to Muslims. Or maybe even the Mormons.

Because they are so much nicer…

The evangelical missionaries I have encountered genuinely want to help Muslims (in my opinion) by bringing them into their faith. Whereas the Catholics I seem to have encountered would rather that Muslims be atheists or anything other than Muslim, and it has more to do with real bigoted hatred and misunderstanding of Islam than an actual desire to share any truth with them.

That’s what I think anyway.

Yet I have seen more hatred in the Protestants than I have noticed in the Catholics.

It is true that the Muslim countries do not allow any preaching by the christians in their countries. There is a slight misunderstanding and the Muslims are wrong in banning all preachings by the missionaries. That is illegal from the point of view of real Islam. The problem lies in the peaceful preaching or abusive preaching.

There should be no bar on any peaceful preaching. If I was the boss in any Muslim country, or I had any say in the matters, I would invite people of all faiths to come and give (gentle. peaceful) lectures about their faiths. I would have their visit projected in the papers so that maximum people (muslims) could attend.

I would also have some servants to attend to the lecturers and their team with hot or cold water (soft drinks), as the need be and most of all, I would provide a good stage for the missionaries to implement their mission.

If the missionaries would agree that they would only describe the good points of their own religion and never try to bring up any abuse or bad point of the other religions, and in the end, they would agree to answer any sensible peaceful questions, then I should provide all facility to them.

But it would be hard to find any such place in any Muslim country at this moment. The best course for the missionaries is to conduct their compaign only in the western countries and they should spend money, invite the muslims in large numbers and give them lectures on christianity. There is no chance of any preaching in any Muslim country. No chance of any preaching unless there be peaceful accommodation and tolerance.

I hope I have not said anything wrong and I have not hurt the feeling of any one. ( I apologise from the Protestants, That was only my observation, may not be true,) Peace. planten.

 

[cathopologist]

Yet I have seen more hatred in the Protestants than I have noticed in the Catholics.

It is true that the Muslim countries do not allow any preaching by the christians in their countries. There is a slight misunderstanding and the Muslims are wrong in banning all preachings by the missionaries. That is illegal from the point of view of real Islam. The problem lies in the peaceful preaching or abusive preaching.

There should be no bar on any peaceful preaching. If I was the boss in any Muslim country, or I had any say in the matters, I would invite people of all faiths to come and give (gentle. peaceful) lectures about their faiths. I would have their visit projected in the papers so that maximum people can attend.

I would also have some servants to attend to the lecturers and teir team with hot or cold water, as the need be and most of all, I would provide a good stage for the missionaries to implement their mission.

If the missionaries would agree that they would only describe the good points of their own religion and never try to bring up any abuse or bad point of the other religions, and in the end, they would agree to answer any sensible peaceful questions, then I should provide all facility to them.

But it would be hard to find any such place in any Muslim country at this moment. The best course for the missionarie sis to conduct their compaign only in the western countries and they should spend money, invite the muslims in large numbers and give them lectures on christianity. There is no chance of any preaching in any Muslim country. No chance of any preaching unless there be peaceful accommodation and tolerance.

I hope I have not said anything wrong and I have not hurt the feeling of any one. Peace. planten.

Finally, something that i can agree with. You’re not trying to suck up to us, are you? Just kidding!

For the most part of it, its the country’s Muslim citizens who indirectly give pressure to its leaders. Paranoid grassroots leaders injecting hatred by claiming Christians have been “brainwashing” their children or friends. Worse still, some even claimed that their children have been kidnapped by missionaries and sold as slaves.

 

[Waqas_411]

Somebody earlier in the thread claimed that many Christian kids are killed in Pakistan. I have been to Pakistan several times myself in its largest city and have not seen such things going on.

 

[cathopologist]

Somebody earlier in the thread claimed that many Christian kids are killed in Pakistan. I have been to Pakistan several times myself in its largest city and have not seen such things going on.

When Chicago was under Mob rule in the 20’s - 60’s, many went missing. To this day they have yet to find those missing bodies. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it never happens.

 

[planten]

Finally, something that i can agree with. You’re not trying to suck up to us, are you? Just kidding!

For the most part of it, its the country’s Muslim citizens who indirectly give pressure to its leaders. Paranoid grassroots leaders injecting hatred by claiming Christians have been “brainwashing” their children or friends. Worse still, some even claimed that their children have been kidnapped by missionaries and sold as slaves.

It is true. Even though some governments in the predominantly muslim countries want to do something good (tolerance), the poor muslim masses do not allow such things. They under the influence of the bigots, raise hue and cry against any peaceful plan.

I am not joking. I do wish that all faiths make peaceful preaching without attacking the others faith. I do not mind the rule of non-Muslims (christians, Hindus etc) as long as they permit peaceful practice of all faiths in their country. But the people of all faiths should also respond by being peaceful till eternity and not to rebel or take up arms against such a government and not to start bombing and agitation.

If there is a rule of law and the law is being honored by the government in favor of all people, then let the rulers rule whoever they are. It should not happen that under such conditions, if the muslims become greater in numbers (Say 90% of population) and they should try to turn the tables. Their leader should be such as never to teach them such a lesson.

But is it possible to have such good situation of peace for all and the permission for all faiths to practice their faiths in peace !!

 

[cathopologist]

planten, i do not doubt your peaceful intentions. I have many Muslim friends to be honest. Our friendship is only possible because majority of Muslims here are not taught in Madrasahs (they have been known to be breeding grounds for hatred in many non-Muslim countries). The ones that have been taught in Madrasahs, i have noticed, rarely interact with Christians or non-Muslims.

Are Madrasahs entirely to be blamed? No. In my opinion, every religious community ought to have their own established religious schools. How they conduct the school is another issue.

Children are the first to learn and they are the vessels of the next generation. Our generation already has to deal with so much hatred in this world. If Madrasahs and Imams do their jobs properly (without proselytizing), i believe peace can be a possibility between Muslims and non-Muslims.

 

[Booklover]

I’m a Muslim and I would tell you to support the evangelicals if you really want to support missionary work to Muslims. Or maybe even the Mormons.

Because they are so much nicer…

The evangelical missionaries I have encountered genuinely want to help Muslims (in my opinion) by bringing them into their faith. Whereas the Catholics I seem to have encountered would rather that Muslims be atheists or anything other than Muslim, and it has more to do with real bigoted hatred and misunderstanding of Islam than an actual desire to share any truth with them.

That’s what I think anyway.

Come, come, Sister Amy, you’re not here to learn about Catholicism, you’re here to sell Islam to us.

Telling the truth is Islam bashing?

Has it ever occurred to you that many of us consider Islam a threat not only to our faith but to all the freedoms guaranteed by our government? That we don’t want to live the “complete way of life” that is Islam and that Muslims think they have the god given right to impose on others by bloodshed if necessary? That if we keep giving in to more Islamic demands to accommodate their religious practices we’ll finally end up by losing our own? That Islam and the Islamic way of life are totally incompatible with our democratic way of life? That it’s based on the inhuman, cruel and ignorant beliefs of barbaric, superstitious 7th century Arab bedouins? That this “merciful” way of life advocates horrors like stonings, cutting off of hands and floggings?

How would you like it if we tried to shove Catholicism down your throat? Would you like that? I’m sure you wouldn’t.

As for bigotry and hatred as you claim, there’s no one more bigoted and filled with hatred than Muslims. From the time of his birth, a Muslim is indoctrinated to believe that Muslims are the best of creation and the unbelievers the worst and unclean to boot. Muslims are not even allowed to befriend the unbelievers unless it’s to convert them. The unbelievers are to be “asked” to become Muslim and are game to be subjugated and made to pay a “protection” tax with humiliation or killed outright if they reject Islam. That so-called tax is nothing more than extortion, since it doesn’t protect the unbelievers from being subjected to violence by Muslims.

We don’t misunderstand Islam, we see it in all its ugliness, but you do not because you’re cocooned in the lies and deception woven by the “scholars” you trust with all their myths of Muhammad’s so-called goodness and piety which are given the lie by the horrors in the Quran and the heinous crimes committed by Muhammad and his “trustworthy” companions, all in the name of his fictitious god in the Quran.

Why do Muslims have to keep trying to reassure everyone that Islam is a religion of “peace”? Actions speak louder than words and “by their fruits you shall know them”.

Islamic Hatred, Bigotry and Violence

Vickie

 

[ralphinal]

Last I checked our (Baptist) missions were not based on anti-catholic. Matter fact, I have never heard anti-catholic until this forum, and no one I know has ever hated/dis-liked Catholics, just not understood.

Well, there is a matter of perception. Let me give you an example.

My cousin was in the army in the 1990s. He is not Catholic. Anyway, they were sent to Latin America after a hurricane to provide help. There were injured people within a mile of a Catholic Hospital who would not go. Why? Because some missionaries had come down there and helped them convert to "Christianity.’ Anyway, they felt that they could not go to the Catholic Hospital, or the Catholic Schools, anymore. When a non-Catholic denomination heads up a trip to “preach the Gospel to those who have not heard it,” that is fine. When they go to a place that is already majority Catholic, it is an anti-Catholic endevour, even if that is not the intent.

A couple of years ago, my cousin was in his baptist Sunday school class when they started raising money for a mission trip down there. He hit the roof. He tried to explain to them how this was not really helping, as you go for two weeks and leave a lifetime of issues downthere. Besides, Catholics are Christians. He had to change Sunday School classes. The teacher began to explain that Catholics were not Christians, and my cousin was about to hit him.

Now, the other point, about being anti-CAtholic. That term is thrown about too freely on here. You can disagree with the Church without being anti-Catholic. I do find it interesting that your church never discusses the Catholic Church. After all, where did Christianity, the Bible, and all that come from? If you do not know the history of the Catholic Church, you do not know the history of Christianity or the history of the world.

 

[jen_fla]

Yet I have seen more hatred in the Protestants than I have noticed in the Catholics.

It is true that the Muslim countries do not allow any preaching by the christians in their countries. There is a slight misunderstanding and the Muslims are wrong in banning all preachings by the missionaries. That is illegal from the point of view of real Islam. The problem lies in the peaceful preaching or abusive preaching.

There should be no bar on any peaceful preaching. If I was the boss in any Muslim country, or I had any say in the matters, I would invite people of all faiths to come and give (gentle. peaceful) lectures about their faiths. I would have their visit projected in the papers so that maximum people (muslims) could attend.

I would also have some servants to attend to the lecturers and their team with hot or cold water (soft drinks), as the need be and most of all, I would provide a good stage for the missionaries to implement their mission.

If the missionaries would agree that they would only describe the good points of their own religion and never try to bring up any abuse or bad point of the other religions, and in the end, they would agree to answer any sensible peaceful questions, then I should provide all facility to them.

But it would be hard to find any such place in any Muslim country at this moment. The best course for the missionaries is to conduct their compaign only in the western countries and they should spend money, invite the muslims in large numbers and give them lectures on christianity. There is no chance of any preaching in any Muslim country. No chance of any preaching unless there be peaceful accommodation and tolerance.

I hope I have not said anything wrong and I have not hurt the feeling of any one. ( I apologise from the Protestants, That was only my observation, may not be true,) Peace. planten.

planten, you’d make one great neighbor!

your comment above seems very reasonable, but the problem would stem from the section i placed in bold. the thing is in order to compare religions (even with words only) someone is going to point out what the differences are and why one group sees the other as wrong. we can discuss trinity with you (i believe in a peaceful manner) because it seems the issue stands from not being on the same page in understanding what it means. however, at least from my POV when i have taken passages (ayas ?) from the quran or authentic hadith, i don’t get a very good explanation. when i first started inquiring about islam, i was told certian parts are for certain time periods, but over and over i read the quran is eternal. the teachings that mohammed spread are for all times.

that being said, could you give me some advice as to how a peaceful discussion could be had when mohammed taught this?

Volume 9, Book 85, Number 77:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

While we were in the mosque, Allah's Apostle came out to us and said, "Let us proceed to the Jews." So we went along with him till we reached Bait-al-Midras (a place where the Torah used to be recited and all the Jews of the town used to gather). The Prophet stood up and addressed them,** "O Assembly of Jews! Embrace Islam and you will be safe!" **The Jews replied, "O Aba-l-Qasim! You have conveyed Allah's message to us." The Prophet said, "That is what I want (from you)." He repeated his first statement for the second time, and they said, "You have conveyed Allah's message, O Aba-l-Qasim." Then he said it for the third time and added, **"You should Know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to exile you fro,,, this land, so whoever among you owns some property, can sell it, otherwise you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle." **(See Hadith No. 392, Vol. 4)

planten, again you seem like you’d make a great friend to anyone from any faith. God bless you for having such a good heart! but how do we reconcile this teaching from peaceful mohammed (from quran):

[5.51] O you who believe! **do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; **they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

 

[planten]

planten, you’d make one great neighbor!

your comment above seems very reasonable, but the problem would stem from the section i placed in bold. the thing is in order to compare religions (even with words only) someone is going to point out what the differences are and why one group sees the other as wrong. we can discuss trinity with you (i believe in a peaceful manner) because it seems the issue stands from not being on the same page in understanding what it means. however, at least from my POV when i have taken passages (ayas ?) from the quran or authentic hadith, i don’t get a very good explanation. when i first started inquiring about islam, i was told certian parts are for certain time periods, but over and over i read the quran is eternal. the teachings that mohammed spread are for all times.

that being said, could you give me some advice as to how a peaceful discussion could be had when mohammed taught this?

Volume 9, Book 85, Number 77:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

While we were in the mosque, Allah's Apostle came out to us and said, "Let us proceed to the Jews." So we went along with him till we reached Bait-al-Midras (a place where the Torah used to be recited and all the Jews of the town used to gather). The Prophet stood up and addressed them,** "O Assembly of Jews! Embrace Islam and you will be safe!" **The Jews replied, "O Aba-l-Qasim! You have conveyed Allah's message to us." The Prophet said, "That is what I want (from you)." He repeated his first statement for the second time, and they said, "You have conveyed Allah's message, O Aba-l-Qasim." Then he said it for the third time and added, **"You should Know that the earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle, and I want to exile you fro,,, this land, so whoever among you owns some property, can sell it, otherwise you should know that the Earth belongs to Allah and His Apostle." **(See Hadith No. 392, Vol. 4)

planten, again you seem like you’d make a great friend to anyone from any faith. God bless you for having such a good heart! but how do we reconcile this teaching from peaceful mohammed (from quran):

[5.51] O you who believe! **do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; **they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

Sorry, I can only give a short reply. The Hadith is not so reliable, specially the one not supported by any verse of the Quran. So to say, “O Jews, convert to Islam otherwise you may be killed…” cannot be right. Most Hadith are correct. But there are some which are not true. That should settle for anything that you presented from the Hadith. Please no more Hadith…

About the verse of the Quran 5:51, It is like this:
5:51, “O you who believe, Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies (supporters, guardians). They are but the allies of each other…”

The word Wali is not for a friend. It means a guardian and Ally. See the translation of the Quran of an ex-Jew Converted to Islam,his name Muhammad Asad. He was some man named Leopold Weiss, an Austrain or polish Jew. He translated the Quran.

It was a war time between nations, Muslims Jews and Christians. There were Muslims who were living in the Muslim country (area) and they were inclined to be the helpers of teh Jews and the christians. Or they were hoping to be helped the people of the book because they considered that the Muslim state was very weak and may not live long. There was a great christian kingdom (Kaisar of Rome) at the back of the christians.

In such condition, it was revealed and forbidden that any Muslim take the Jews and christians as a supporter. I hope it has cleared the matter.

That was a time of war. There is no bad feeling from islam towards christianity. In fact there is a verse of the Quran which clearly says that it does not forbid the Muslims to have good relations with those people of the books who have not fought the Muslims, (Something to that effect.)

 

[Isa_Almisry]

Constantine XI was the last emperor and his rule ended in 1453, defending the walls of New Rome. Btw, he was in communion with the pope of Rome.

 

[Sister_Amy]

Come, come, Sister Amy, you’re not here to learn about Catholicism, you’re here to sell Islam to us.

I’m pretty sure that it is haraam for a person to sell his religion. Pretty sure. I’m not getting paid. I’m volunteering my time here, and I talk about Islam, and tell the truth about it. But the main reason I’m here is to try to be nice to you.

Has it ever occurred to you that many of us consider Islam a threat not only to our faith but to all the freedoms guaranteed by our government?